Drayton Valley woman charged over photos from party

A 20-year-old woman from Drayton Valley is one of 10 foreigners in Cambodia charged with producing pornographic photos after posting pictures of themselves dancing at a party near the famed Angkor Wat temple.

Eden Kazoleas, 20, of Drayton Valley was arrested with another Canadian, Jessica Drolet, 25, alongside eight men of various nationalities who were being detained in the northwestern town of Siem Reap in Cambodia, according to the Cambodian National Police.

Five of the men were from the United Kingdom and one each from Norway, the Netherlands and New Zealand

The 10 foreigners have denied wrongdoing, but there is “enough evidence to prove that they violated the law and, therefore, they must face charges,” Cambodian prosecutor Samrith Sokhon said Monday.

If convicted, they could face up to one year in prison.

“This is really, really concerning,” her aunt Donna Kazoleas told CTV. “Eden is a very, very good kid. She is very outgoing. She doesn’t smoke. She doesn’t drink.”

Global Affairs Canada said it was providing consular services to the Canadians, adding it would not comment further to protect the privacy of those involved.

According to Cambodian police, they raided a rented villa in Siem Reap on Thursday where people were “dancing pornographically.”

Nearly 90 foreigners were detained and all but 10 were released.

Those 10 were formally charged with producing pornographic pictures Sunday, which the prosecutor said had been posted on social media.

Photos released by police show young adults — clothed except for a few shirtless men — rolling around on a dance floor. Some men were straddling women in the group.

The Khmer Times, an Englishlanguage newspaper close to the government, said some of the events were known as “Let’s Get Wet.”

A Facebook page for Let’s Get Wet parties in Siem Reap advertise “Asia’s biggest pool crawl.” It offers every Thursday “a whole day of partying in a Villa Mansion just out of town with hundreds of other backpackers” featuring a DJ, barbecue and pool.

While generally tourist friendly, Cambodia is a deeply conservative country with strong views about modesty.

Eden is a very, very good kid. ... She doesn’t smoke. She doesn’t drink.

CAMBODIAN NATIONAL POLICE VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS This photo shows a group of unidentified foreigners the Cambodian police accuse of “dancing pornographically” at a party near the Angkor Wat temple. 10 travellers face charges in the country for producing pornographic pictures.